Predictors of individual views on climate change in the US

Most of us from across the Atlantic have been watching the US election and the political scene in general with great interest. There has been concern about the American attitude towards climate change and we have welcomed the efforts of the Obama Administration to drive the policies forward. Tatiana Schlossberg writes a good article in … Continue reading Predictors of individual views on climate change in the US →

So, why do you save energy?

Understanding human behaviour is quite complex. It would be good if we were all economists and simply said that consumers do things in a rational manner – whatever that is. Chris Mooney, writing in the Washington Post, raises many important issues from a recent psychological study about why we take the actions we do. … Continue reading So, why do you save energy? →

Awareness in energy efficiency opportunities begins at home

Since the first oil crisis in the 1970s, many countries have developed educational materials for school children to teach them the benefits of energy efficiency and to take those lessons home. Chelsea Harvey writes in the Washington Post about a new study involving girl scouts to see how children can influence their parents’ behaviour. … Continue reading Awareness in energy efficiency opportunities begins at home →

Giving a nudge to pilots

We have known for some time about how our driver behaviour can affect overall fuel consumption. Normally we think about it in terms of our cars and goods vehicles. Chris Mooney writes in the Washington Post about an experiment by Virgin Atlantic Airways to “nudge” their pilots into using less fuel. Virgin Atlantic just … Continue reading Giving a nudge to pilots →

Being ‘alarmed’ about climate change does not necessarily lead to action

A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change found that even members of the public who are “alarmed” about a warming planet show relatively low levels of public-sphere action, such as volunteering or protesting. Chelsea Harvey explains the report in an article in the Washington Post. Why even the people who worry … Continue reading Being ‘alarmed’ about climate change does not necessarily lead to action →

Why people “self-silence” when it comes to climate change

Chris Mooney writes in the Washington Post about recent studies that explore why people are reluctant to talk much about climate change. Do you have views on this? The vicious cycle that makes people afraid to talk about climate change If you want to understand why it is that on a planet wracked by … Continue reading Why people “self-silence” when it comes to climate change →

Complex interrelationships between humans and the environment

There are on going studies to understand why some are more concerned about the environment than others. Chris Mooney writes a good article in the Washington Post that looks at the importance of systems thinking. Scientists now know the psychology behind your worries about the environment More and more, attempts to explain why people … Continue reading Complex interrelationships between humans and the environment →

Getting business to focus on saving energy could bring big savings

Last week, EiD wrote about one US utility working on promoting energy efficiency. Now we have Jillian Ambrose writing on The Telegraph website about the activities of one British utility targeting aggressive energy savings in a bid to grow its share of the business energy market. If you have a good example, please let EiD … Continue reading Getting business to focus on saving energy could bring big savings →

Figuring out which factors influence individuals’ beliefs about climate change

There are many reports documenting climate change yet there are many individuals that deny the evidence. Chelsea Harvey writes in the Washington Post about new analysis of the main predictors of a person’s belief. What do you think about this? Science confirms it: Denial of climate change is all about the politics Dozens of … Continue reading Figuring out which factors influence individuals’ beliefs about climate change →

Reducing emissions is more than investing in technologies

We talk about behaviour change and there are many efforts underway to encourage it. The climate change agreement in Paris in December is more than a wake up call. While we give lip service to saving energy, turning off lights and driving in a more eco-friendly manner, we need to do more. Arthur Neslen writes … Continue reading Reducing emissions is more than investing in technologies →